Blind as a Bat
by RandomWriter21
Summary: October 10th, a peaceful day until one man's machinations decide to turn it into chaos. It's a night where a five-year old Naruto witnesses his sisters birth, then sees no more; but his ordeal doesn't end there. A selfless sacrifice to save his sister will turn into something that the Elemental Nations hasn't seen in ages. /Blind Naruto / Not A Neglect Fic / Airbender Elements / AU
1. Prologue

**AN:** Couldn't get this idea out of my head, so I've decided to post this to see the remarks on it. Yes, I'm still writing, for those wondering, I've been caught up with the real world lately which is taking up most of my time. Anyway, I plan on updating Monster of the Hidden Leaf V2 next after a reread and some revisions. Afterwards, it's full focus on Akuma no Senshi…it needs completed, but I will not rush perfection as the saying goes. Apologies for the long AN, but I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Avatar: The Last Airbender nor am I doing this for profitable gain, all rights respectively go to their creators.

 _ITALICS_ – thinking

 **BOLD** – jutsu/demon speak

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

October 10th.

Night was fast approaching, shops were closing for the day, and the shinobi of Konoha went about their day like usual. In the Hokage Tower, a retired Hiruzen Sarutobi, the former Sandaime Hokage, smiled as he sat in the chair once again. It was a good feeling, but the elder Sarutobi knew that he was past his prime hence why he chose a young Minato Namikaze to take his place. Where was this young Hokage? Why, in a secret location with his son, a five year old Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, ready to see his sister come into the world.

October 10th. A day filled with peace, soon to become chaos due to one man's machinations.

"Push Kushina, she's almost there." Biwako Sarutobi, Hiruzen's wife said with a smile as she saw the crown.

"Push?!" The fiery tempered Uzumaki yelled as she crushed Minato's right hand whom was doing his best not to cry out in pain. "I've been doing so for the last hour, 'ttebane!"

"Calm down hime, "Minato said in a loving manner, "Such anger isn't healthy for the baby."

Kushina let out a frustrated growl as she pushed again, a crack echoing in the room as Minato's fingers were crushed further. Such pain was quickly overridden with joy as the cries of a newborn echoed in the small shed. As Biwako went to clean the baby off, Kushina let out a sigh of relief before looking tiredly at her smiling son.

"So, whatcha want to name him, my lil' fishcake?"

Naruto mumbled to himself at the nickname, one he loathed with a passion. His name meant Maelstrom, dammit, much like the whirlpools that used to protect Uzu. Nonetheless, Naruto smiled and quickly looked over at his sister and, upon seeing the tufts of red hair, could only think of one name.

"Mito, after my great grandmother!"

"A splendid name, don't you think Minato?"

Said person nodded with a smile, one which was erased when Biwako's screams of pain was heard followed by Mito's crying. To the Namikaze family's horror, there, in an orange masked man's arms, was their newborn; a kunai dangerously close to her throat.

"A precious life, don't you think Hokage-san?" The man tilted his head to the side, his evil smirk hidden beneath the mask, "I could easily slit her throat to end her incessant crying, but I have a much better idea…the Kyuubi, in exchange for what's in my hands."

Naruto was about to run up to try and free his sister, but Minato held him back.

"You should know the answer to that already." The kunai pressed into Mito's neck which made everyone tense up.

"Tick tock, I haven't much patience left." The evil grin never left the man's face.

That was until he was hit over the head with a bedpan courtesy of Biwako. Seeing an opportunity, Naruto broke from his father's hold and tackled the man at the knees which made him stumble and lose his hold on Mito. Minato quickly used his **Hirashin** to catch his newborn daughter, but it wasn't enough to save Naruto as the masked man's kunai sliced across his eyes.

"No!" Kushina and Minato yelled as Naruto was now the one being held hostage, his throat being held by a booted foot.

"Tsk, such a shame." The masked man shook his head, "If only you listened and agreed to my demands."

The man started to glow, and Minato knew of only one jutsu that did this; the **Exploding Clone**.

Acting quickly, he used **Hirashin** once again to grab everyone and teleport them to the hospital just before the shed exploded into splinters. Tsunade, who was walking down the hallway with a couple folders, screamed in fright and threw the folders upwards as Minato made his presence known.

"No time," Minato said as the papers fluttered to the floor, "Make sure they stay safe, I have a score to settle."

Tsunade dumbly nodded, but quickly went into doctor mode upon seeing Naruto holding his eyes and writhing around in pain as well as a seriously injured Biwako. As for Kushina and Mito, they were unconscious, most likely due to stress, exhaustion, and the teleportation; perhaps a combination of all three. As Tsunade had nurses and other doctors rush over to help, she could only think of two things.

Naruto's eyesight, and his future as a shinobi of Konoha.

Minato had teleported back to the place of the explosion where, not surprisingly, the man had stood in what looked like boredom.

"Mou, you take all my fun away." The man pouted beneath his mask, but it soon turned into one of glee, "Though now that you're here, the party can really get started!"

Minato braced himself as the man attacked, and when he got close, the taijutsu bout began. As the battle raged on, and upped in intensity, the people of Konoha had started to hear it. Five minutes had passed, the civilians were now in the shelters, and the shinobi were on standby to help their Kage if needed. For now, it didn't seem that way as Minato clearly had the upper hand if the masked man's injuries said anything.

"You may have wounded me greatly Hokage-san, you may have ruined all my plans, but that's not to say I didn't come empty handed." The orange masked man laughed insanely as he went through hand seals in a fast pace; too fast for Minato to stop them.

The hands hit the ground, a sealing matrix had spread out, and, in an enormous puff of smoke; something had appeared while roaring to the heavens. As it cleared, all shinobi had paled at just what this creature was.

The one-tailed beast, Shukaku.

" _But how?!"_ Minato thought, " _He should be secured in Suna…unless…._ "

"Your emotions cannot hide from me, Hokage-san!" The masked man took a pause to laugh, "I know your thoughts; thoughts of my plans, how I managed to do what I did, but like you told me…you should already know the answer to that."

It was then, that Minato saw a red glow in the only eyehole in the mask, one with a strange pattern; a pattern that only one such eye could have. The bijuu's eyes glazed over before dilating and reflecting that of the man's Sharingan.

"Forces of Konoha, prepare thyself for today will be a day unlike any we've faced before; a day in which we will prevail!" Minato yelled to everyone as his eyes narrowed in preparation for the battle ahead.

"Bold words, Hokage-san…but can you back them up?" The masked man looked up at Shukaku before uttering the words which would bring hell upon Konoha, "Sic 'em my pet!"

* * *

Back at the hospital, Tsunade had just finished up healing Naruto to the best of her abilities and couldn't be happier with the results. There was hope that he would see again as the damage to the eyeballs wasn't too severe, but Tsunade knew that time would tell the true story. Hope, however, was sadly lost for Hiruzen Sarutobi. Despite Tsunade's best efforts, the damage to Biwako was too severe and she had succumbed to her injuries.

Homura, Koharu, and Danzo had all paid a visit once they heard the news, followed by Jiraiya and Tsunade. For the elders and Danzo, they hadn't seen their friend this distraught since Tobirama gave his life in the Second Shinobi War. And they all knew, even the Sennnin, what happened when a shinobi felt this way. A roar in the distance followed by a sick, intense killing intent soon followed which made everyone grow pale in the face.

"So, the one-tailed beast has been released." Hiruzen mumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear it.

"But I thought that was secured in Suna?" Jiraiya asked, shock evident in his tone.

"Apparently, that's not the case anymore…" Tsunade replied, but stopped as she saw Hiruzen close Biwako's eyes then kiss her on the forehead.

Once he composed himself, Hiruzen looked at everyone in the room with a smile as he brought out his pipe.

"Although I'm Hokage no longer, I give these final decrees to all of you." Hiruzen said as he calmly packed his pipe and looked towards Danzo, "Danzo, keep the Roots strong so that the Great Tree can grow."

The Sandaime set his gaze on his advisers, "Koharu, Homura, aid the new generation in becoming the best Konoha has ever seen and keep Danzo in check."

And lastly to the Sennin, "To my students, I apologize for the many faults I've made in my day and I want you to take those failures to heart." The pipe was now in his mouth, ready to be lit, "Use them to guide Minato on his path to greatness. Lastly, tell my son that he was right all along."

Hiruzen walked slowly towards the door as he lit his pipe and puffed on it a few times, everyone moving out of the way for him. All of them knew that a decision like this was final, and that there wasn't any room to argue. As he opened the door and walked into the hallway, the Sandaime looked back at his wife and let a few tears roll down his face.

" _Soon, my sweet Biwako, we will be together once again._ "

The door clicked closed, and it was then that everyone, even the usually emotionless Danzo, shed tears.

* * *

"We can't hold it off much longer, Sensei!" Kakashi yelled to Minato as he dodged another wave of sand. "Part of Konoha is destroyed, and who knows where that bastard in a mask went."

"I'm aware, Kakashi-san, and I have just the idea to get rid of this nuisance."

"Why am I sensing a 'but'?"

"That's 'cause there…hold on!" Minato replied, only to grab his student and use a quick shunshin to avoid being impaled by sand spikes.

"Kakashi, ANBU, you're in charge until I get back…I have a difficult decision to make."

They all nodded as they weren't one to question their Hokage's actions. And with that they quickly got to work in formulating a plan to get Shukaku off his feet. Although they lived in the Land of Fire, there was a few water users here which would help in slowing the behemoth down. As the multiple water jutsu rained down upon Shukaku, something appeared above the bijuu in a puff of smoke. Soon, Shukaku was flattened by a massive Toad courtesy of Jiraiya the Toad Sannin.

"Keep it up, it won't stay down for long!"

Jiraiya's words rang true as the sand started to float elsewhere and start to form up again. As one, the Konoha shinobi fought, but in their minds they hoped that Minato would get back soon with the solution they were looking for.

* * *

A yellow flash woke Kushina up, but the smile she had on seeing Minato was erased due to the expression on his face. She felt the aura outside, one all too familiar which meant only one thing.

"So, it's come to this then?"

"Hai, Kushi-chan, I'm afraid so." Minato replied as he walked to the crib where Mito was peacefully sleeping.

"You know I don't approve of this, right Minato-koi."

"And you know that it's the only thing we can do to ensure Konoha's safety."

The silence that followed spoke volumes, but as Minato was ready to take Mito, Naruto intervened.

"No, not my sister, take me instead." He said as he sat up in the bed he was laying in.

"N-Naruto!" Minato and Kushina were shocked.

"I'm blind, kaa-san, tou-san, I'm not fit to become a shinobi." Naruto rubbed the bandages over his eyes, "Let Mito have the dream I'll never have."

Minato and Kushina were crying at this point as they knew what the influx of chakra could do to Naruto. However, the wise words spoken by their five year old son somehow made sense. An explosion outside the gates shook the hospital which brought Minato and Kushina to reality.

"Fine son, but in order to do the sealing, I must give my own life."

Kushina was about to protest, but Hiruzen had overheard and made his presence known.

"No need Minato-san, for I have lost the light in my life, and my years are fading fast…I've not much longer in this world." Hiruzen let out a sad smile as he puffed on his pipe, "Allow me, as Mito deserves to grow up with both parents."

"Thank you, Ji-Ji." Naruto spoke for Minato.

"No, thank you, Naruto, for making such a selfless sacrifice, one beyond your years."

Another explosion outside the walls, this one closer than before, made it so there wasn't any time to argue. Before Minato teleported away with Naruto and Hiruzen in tow, Naruto looked at Kushina and mouthed 'I love you.' The events of the day was too much for Kushina, and she passed out with tears streaming down her face.

* * *

Jiraiya was pissed as nothing they tried had seemed to stop Shukaku's rampage. It was now to the point where the tailed beast could easily enter Konoha and wipe it out with one bijuudama. Luckily for Konoha, Minato arrived with others where he quickly placed his hands upon the bijuu and teleported farther outside Konoha. Although much cheers were had, many knew that something was going to take place, something that would change their lives forever.

" _Sensei, I understand what you're going to do, but why are you here, Naruto?"_ The Toad Sage thought, but the answer quickly came to him.

With a gasp, Jiraiya shunshined to where Minato's chakra was; many, including Kakashi and the ANBU, were not far behind. As they arrived on site, however, they were blocked by a barrier. Now, they could only watch as Hiruzen, his summon Enma, and Minato's clones held off the beast while the real Minato was preparing Naruto for the transfer.

"Naruto…no, you'll die…" Jiraiya whispered as he pounded on the barrier in the hopes of gaining his attention.

Kakashi was about to do the same, but saw the bandages on Naruto's eyes. Being a surrogate brother to Naruto, he couldn't be more proud of the sacrifice he was about to make.

"Jiraiya-sama, have faith in Naruto-nii and your students sealing capabilities." Kakashi rested a comforting hand on the Sage's shoulder, "He's blind, and you know how people feel about such shinobi."

One of the ANBU winced behind his mask as he knew such a feeling, it was why he rose through the ranks quickly and got into ANBU as soon as possible. Being blind was a challenge, yes, but he knew that such a disadvantage could be overcome.

" _Live, Naruto Namikaze, for I wish to be your mentor and watch you grow, much like the son I used to have."_

"I can't hold this off for much longer Minato!" Hiruzen yelled as he went into Sage Mode and turned part of Shukaku into glass with a powerful fire jutsu.

"Almost done Sandaime-sama, just give me one more minute!" Minato replied as he finished the seals, occasionally looking into Naruto's bandaged eyes. "Regardless of the outcome, I couldn't be more proud of you, my son."

Naruto nodded and hugged his father once the seals were done.

"I'm ready, Sandaime-sama start the seals!"

Hiruzen nodded and made multiple shadow clones to cover his tactical retreat. As the hand seals were made, Hiruzen's Sage Mode had disappeared which made Enma reappear beside him.

"A noble sacrifice if I say so myself, Hiruzen." The monkey king said with a smile, "A legend you will become in the Monkey Realm, and don't worry, I will offer my services to Asuma and any generation of the Sarutobi family."

"Thank you Enma, it was an honor to be your summoner, and an honor to fight by your side." The last seal was completed, the Shinigami now hovering over Hiruzen in preparation, "Go now, we will meet again on the other side."

Enma nodded and dispelled just as the Shinigami asked what his bidding was. Hiruzen made his decree, one which the God of Death was all too eager to appease, though instead of sealing the Yang inside Hiruzen like he wanted, the Shinigami had other plans and decided to seal the whole bijuu into young Naruto. Knowing that the boy would die, the Shinigami ensured Naruto's survival and gave him a gift along the way; one that would take a lot of time and training to manifest fully.

As the Shinigami disappeared and a deceased Hiruzen Sarutobi fell to the ground below, Minato held onto his screaming son and did his best to apply the final seals. For Naruto, the pain he underwent was excruciating for his chakra network had shattered and reformed over and over again until finally his chakra coils and network was large enough to contain everything. Although this process only lasted a couple minutes on the outside, it felt like an eternity to Naruto. Once it was done, he breathed a sigh of relief before falling into a deep coma, one which Minato thought he'd never wake from.

It was October 10th, a day which started unassumingly, but ended with chaos. A date which would live forever in the minds of those who witnessed it. A date in which the Elemental Nations would start to change, not for the better, but for the worse.


	2. Arc One Ch One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Avatar: The Last Airbender nor am I doing this for profitable gain, all rights respectively go to their creators.

 _ITALICS_ – thinking

 **BOLD** – jutsu/demon speak

* * *

 **Arc One: Blind But I Can See**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

Days had quickly turned into weeks, which then turned into months ever since Konoha was attacked. The village mourned for those killed in the attack, the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi hurting the most. However, they also held hope for their Yondaime's son whom has been in a coma ever since; a total of three months. Tsunade had assured everyone that Naruto was simply adjusting to the influx of chakra in his system, but Minato and Kushina had an intuition that there was something else involved. For their sakes, they hoped that Shukaku hadn't taken ahold of Naruto's mind and turned him into a psychopathic killer much like stories of the bijuu's personality.

The three months had passed slowly for Konoha, but as for Jiraiya it was a whirlwind. During these months, he had his spy network work overdrive to ensure that Konoha's weakened state wasn't spread around the Elemental Nations. Not only that, but to also keep tabs on the masked man that had attacked, and left soon after summoning Shukaku. Nothing had come up as of yet except the news that Suna had almost been destroyed by their jinchuriki going crazy to the point where they released Shukaku. Although not stated, Jiraiya had a hunch that this masked man was responsible. As word of this reached Minato's desk, he was not pleased in the slightest for if Jiraiya's assumptions were true, then the masked man was targeting the bijuu. For what reason and as to why, Minato still had no clue.

As Konoha rebuilt and recovered, Koharu, Homura, and Danzo had followed Hiruzen's final decree. Instead of weakening the academy to allow more civilians to enter like they wanted, the attack three months ago and Hiruzen's death struck a deep emotional chord in each of them; especially Danzo. The academy would now be implemented with almost war-time standards and, much to Minato's surprise, Danzo had come to him and asked how to recondition his troops to feel again. When Minato asked about the sudden change in character, the War Hawk told him that Hiruzen's sacrifice reminded him too much of Tobirama and it was then he realized what the Will of Fire was about. Although Minato accepted the task, he would stay vigilant as this was the man who was known to circumvent the Hokage in certain matters.

Konoha was healing and the aura around the village was becoming joyous once again, but this feeling was about to increase for a comatose boy was about to wake.

* * *

Naruto groaned as he opened his eyes for the first time in months. He expected to see the light inside the room, but everything was black which brought Naruto back to reality. He was blind, and that he survived the sealing.

With a sigh, Naruto attempted to see the room using his other senses which he found to be more sensitive than normal. The beeps of the machines was near deafening, the smell of antiseptic was overpowering, and every time something was touched it seemed to send off a signal. It was almost like a pulse, a wave of some kind which blanketed the room. The blackness started to turn into something, but there was too much fuzziness to make anything out. Before Naruto could test this further, footsteps were coming this way which made him sit up. Soon, the door opened and whomever was there gasped in shock.

"Naruto, thank Kami your awake!"

"Tsunade baa-chan, is that you?"

"Hai, it's me Naruto." Tsunade said with a smile as she walked up to Naruto and ran a diagnostic jutsu, "All of Konoha was worried about you and they'd be happy to know you're awake."

"Do they know I'm blind?"

"What?" The question took Tsunade off guard for a bit before realizing what Naruto meant, "Besides your parents and a few others, no, the village doesn't know."

Naruto sighed and laid back down, not wanting to talk anymore.

"Look Naruto, yes you may be blind, but you can still become a shinobi." Tsunade said in the hopes of comforting Minato's boy, but it did the complete opposite.

"I can't see, tou-san always told me that was a key to a shinobi's survival…" Naruto sighed once again, tears now streaming down his face, "…everyone will see me as weak and unwanted; even tou-san and kaa-san."

Tsunade frowned at the accusation and had one of the hidden ANBU gather Naruto's parents and bring them here so that they could privately talk to their son.

"They would never do such a thing, especially after you selflessly sacrificed yourself to protect this village from harm."

"They have Mito, I'm unwanted." Naruto quietly replied back before putting the covers over his head.

Tsunade's shoulders slumped as she walked out of the room and closed the door. As she leaned against the wall, it was then that Minato and Kushina arrived where they instantly knew something was wrong due to the Slug Sannin's body language.

"Good luck you two, you'll need it." Tsunade patted both on the shoulder, "He thinks you'll favor Mito over him…and he fears that everyone will see him as unwanted, including you two."

"W-what?!" Kushina was shocked and heartbroken as was Minato whom pulled her into a comforting hug.

Minato thanked Tsunade and entered Naruto's room where silencing seals were placed once the door was closed. A conversation that was about to take place was for their ears only.

"I can't see my lil' fishcake under those covers," Kushina tried to smile, but it was hard to do so in this situation, "Why don't you come on out so that we can chat?"

"I don't wanna," Naruto's muffled and depressed voice came from underneath the sheets, "Just leave me alone."

Kushina frowned as she walked up to the bed before bending low and slowly pulling the covers away until Naruto's tear stricken face could be seen. Tears which were wiped away by the Uzumaki's soft fingers.

"You're not a burden to us sochi, and you'll never will be." Kushina was now sitting in the bed, trying to comfort Naruto the best she could, "Your hardship is ours, and all of us will get through it together, OK?"

Naruto didn't reply, instead he tried to get as far away from Kushina as possible; an act which made both parents frown.

"Your kaa-san's right, Naruto." Minato said as he walked up to the bed and sat down besides Kushina, "And I'll do everything in my power to make sure your shinobi dream becomes reality."

"Go away!" Naruto yelled to them, though it was muffled as he stuffed his head into the pillow.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Kushina whispered to Minato whom began to think about a possible solution, "I can't bear to see Naruto like this…he's been through too much already."

"Hai, and I may just have something which will cheer our sochi up." Minato whispered back, not knowing that Naruto could hear every word being said, "Remember that blind ANBU who came to me about training our sochi if he ever awoke?"

Kushina's eyes widened before a smile came to her face, "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

"Thanks, Kushi-chan."

As the two kissed, Naruto's mind was in a tizzy at what he just heard. If there was another like him, and in ANBU nonetheless, perhaps becoming a shinobi was still possible. As much as Naruto wanted to reply to his parents, his body and mind was still tired and he soon fell back asleep. So deep was this sleep, that Naruto didn't feel Minato and Kushina get up and kiss him on the forehead before leaving the room.

* * *

Another week had passed before Naruto was able to leave the hospital, but it was a week of experimenting and discoveries for him. The blurry figures that appeared when Naruto had touched something turned out to be the room around him. However, much to Naruto's dismay, a lot of work had to be done to perfect this new ability. At first Naruto had used his fingers and tapped around, but then he got the idea to use his feet. The pulses happened again which brought a smile to Naruto's face, but that quickly turned into a yelp of pain as he stubbed his toe on the nearby wall. Yes, much work had to be done.

Also during the week, Minato and Kushina met Naruto daily and made sure that he was alright and to discuss their plans with him. It took a couple days, but Naruto finally relented and told his parents about his ability, and when he would meet the bijuu in his gut. The ability surprised them, but they couldn't be happier for Naruto. As to meeting Shukaku, Minato had told Naruto that such a meeting wouldn't take place when he was stronger and when his abilities were under some form of control. Speaking of the bijuu, Minato and Kushina began to wonder if Naruto's ability was a direct result of the sealing, but they decided to put that question aside for now. It was a couple days after that did Naruto finally meet Takashi, the blind ANBU.

Although he couldn't see what he was wearing, the man's deep voice was oddly calming to Naruto, and made it feel like he could trust this man. To Minato and Kushina, though, Takashi was wearing an altered version of the ANBU uniform, the armor still on his person. He was slightly taller than Minato, had tan skin, short black hair, and the Konoha headband was wrapped around his eyes. Although almost in his 50's, Takashi had a young looking, clean shaven, face.

For the rest of the week, Takashi shared his stories and told Naruto of the scar over his eyes, one he got about the same age as Naruto. When asked the reason, Takashi replied that it was a training accident when he and his father was sparring. Naruto, in curiosity, traced over his eyes and found that he too had the same exact scar. Although they only chatted a short time, a strong bond had already been formed.

* * *

"Calm down Naru-kun, Takashi will be here soon." Kushina let out a small chuckle as she watched her son bounce on the balls of his feet.

"But I want to start training now." Naruto let out a pout, "Can't he arrive sooner?"

Kushina smiled as she picked Naruto up and placed the excited boy on the couch in the family room just as there was a knock on the door. Needless to say, Naruto wasn't on the couch that long.

"He's here, he's finally here!" Naruto yelled with a massive smile on his face as he ran towards the door.

Kushina shook her head with mirth as she watched her son open the door to reveal Takashi in all his glory.

"Ah, anxious to start training I see, young one." Takashi smiled as Naruto hugged his right leg, "And I see that you've been working on that ability of yours."

"Hai, but everything's still fuzzy…" Naruto's face scrunched up, like he was disappointed, "…my toes still hurt."

Takashi and Kushina laughed at that, even more so as they remembered trying to get Naruto to wear shoes. He wasn't having any of it and fought to the point where both, even Minato, knew that doing so in the future would be impossible.

"We'll be in the backyard if you care to watch, Kushina-sama."

"Just Kushina please, and I'll be out after I get some chores done around the house." Kushina replied, taking the time to hug Naruto and wish him well, "Don't overdo it, OK sochi."

"I won't, thanks kaa-san!" Naruto broke free from his mother and tried to run out the door, but Takashi stopped him before hitting the wall.

"The door's over here, Naruto."

Confused, Naruto reached forward to find that he was about to hit a wall. Laughing sheepishly, Naruto took Takashi's hand before being led towards the backyard.

"What am I going to do with that boy?" Kushina sighed and let a smile come to her face as she closed the front door.

* * *

"So how do you see things, Taka-Sensei?" Naruto asked, using the nickname he had given when still in the hospital.

"Ah, a very wise question at such a young age, but a crucial one nonetheless." Takashi smiled as both continued towards the backyard, "I use a form of chakra sensing to see what's around me. One pulse of chakra is all it takes, though to see more advanced objects, I have to use senjutsu."

"What's senjutsu?

"Techniques that only a select few have been able to do." Takashi and Naruto had reached the backyard where they sat under a nearby tree. "Such techniques require the use of the natural energy around us, and can be quite powerful when used correctly. However, take heed for if one uses this power incorrectly, they will turn into stone."

Naruto, although amazed, let out a nervous chuckle, "Can we skip that for now, becoming stone doesn't sound like fun."

"Skip it?" Takashi shook his head and helped Naruto stand, "You, my blind maelstrom, are most likely using it with that special ability of yours."

"Really?!"

"Hai, but it's all speculation for now as we still don't know how far such an ability could progress." Takashi took in a breath before putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder, "So, ready to train?"

Naruto smiled and began to run around the yard but, like many times before, he ended up stubbing one of his big toes; this time, on a rock.

"ITAI!"

Takashi sweat-dropped, "I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Hours later, Kushina had finished her chores and was ready to head out to see how Naruto was progressing. Before she could do so, however, Minato appeared in a flash.

"Hey Kushi-hime, how's Naruto?"

"I was just going to have a look, Minato-koi." Kushina gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek, "After I get Mito, that is."

Once Kushina had Naruto's baby sister, both headed outside where they were surprised to see their son running around the many trees in their backyard, not even hitting them once. It was only a week ago that Naruto had discovered his ability, but now it looked like he was well on his way to mastering it. To further their shock, Takashi was throwing shuriken and kunai on occasion. Naruto dodged some, used the trees as cover, or failed to dodge completely. Luckily for them, the shinobi tools were the rubber academy kind. They may have been made of rubber but, being made to be similar to the real thing, it still hurt a lot.

"Very good my maelstrom, one more lap should do it!"

Naruto nodded as sweat poured down his face and his breathing was labored. It may have been only three hours since they started, but since then it has been nothing but physical fitness, and testing the limits on Naruto's sensor ability. Of course, there was breaks in-between, but a regime like this, for a five year old nonetheless, was brutal. Luckily for Naruto, the Uzumaki genes were strong and his stamina was quite high; having a bijuu sealed in his gut also helped matters.

"And done!" Takashi yelled which made Naruto stop and stumble towards his home.

"Ugh, I'm sore." A yawn escaped Naruto's lips, "And tired."

"Of that I have no doubt," Takashi patted Naruto on the back, "You did well today, but you're still young and we can only do so much."

Naruto nodded, too tired to talk anymore, let alone walk properly. This state changed a little when Minato, Kushina, and Mito came into view, though. Naruto tried his best to run towards them, but he ended up tripping over his feet and falling onto his stomach a couple feet from his parents. Such an act made Mito giggle and coo as she reached a hand towards her brother. All the while, Takashi had an amused smirk on his face as it reminded him of the son he'd lost many years ago.

" _Somewhere, I know you're still out there my son, somehow, I will find you and make everything right once again."_ Takashi let out a sigh and unsealed a cigarette from a tattoo on his right palm, " _You may have shown happiness on the outside, but there was always deep hatred in you,"_ Takashi lit the cigarette with a small fire jutsu before placing it in his mouth, " _Hatred which only I am to blame for."_

By time Takashi had reached Minato and Kushina, Naruto was fast asleep in his father's arms. As much as Takashi wanted to get closer, the look Kushina was giving him promised pain, and lots of it. Everyone knew of her disgust with tobacco products, especially after she laced the Sandaime's stash with a laxative. How Kushina managed to do such a thing was beyond anyone, even the ANBU.

"Hai, Hai, I'll put it out." Takashi dropped the cancer stick to the ground before stomping on it.

"Good boy." Kushina's look of rage instantly turned into one of happiness, "Now, how about we go inside and have some tea whilst we discuss our lil' fishcake's progress."

"You do know it means Maelstrom, not the ramen topping…right?"

"She does," Minato responded as all went inside, "Kushi-hime just does that to get under Naruto's skin…works quite well actually."

Takashi let out a snort, "Yah, and when Shukaku latches onto that anger, what then?"

It was a rhetorical question, but it made Kushina nervously chuckle while it made Minato pale a little. The last thing either parent wanted was for Naruto to use Shukaku's power before he was ready for it, and right now five years old was way too young. A silence hung in the Namikaze household for bit while Minato put Naruto in bed, and Kushina put a kettle of water on the stove. Such silence was broken when Mito started crying which made Kushina smile.

"It appears our baby girl is hungry, give me a moment before we start."

Once Kushina was upstairs, Minato sat down on the couch in the family room and motioned for Takashi to do the same.

"So, anything I should be worried about with Naruto's strange ability?"

"None that I can see, other than my assumption that it uses the natural energy around us instead of chakra."

"Senjutsu, at his age?" Minato shook his head in denial, "It took Shodai-sama many years to master such a talent, and you believe my son can harness it without his knowledge?"

"I know it may seem implausible, but Hiruzen always told me that the shinobi world is filled with uncertainty." Takashi leaned back in the chair and sighed as another thought came to mind, "What are the chances that Naruto has something that this world hasn't seen in ages, all because of Shukaku or some other being involved?"

Minato quirked an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, the kettle started to whistle.

"Excuse me."

Takashi nodded which prompted the Yondaime to rise and walk towards the kitchen to get the tea ready. As he was doing so, Takashi couldn't help but feel that he was onto something. However, there was a major problem with this, and it all dealt with history. Anything before the Warring Clan era was largely comprised of stories passed down, with bits and pieces of actual evidence to back such stories up. It was here another question came up, one's regarding the bijuu.

" _Hiruzen always said that the bijuu were peaceful until Hashirama traded them to the major villages as tokens of peace…could the beasts that we've grown to fear know more about the ancient world than we do? Could the beasts we've enslaved for all these years led to each of the Shinobi Wars thus far?"_ Takashi let out a sigh as he rubbed his temples, he didn't know what to do.

"Tea for your thoughts?" Minato asked with a smile as he put the cup and saucer in front of Naruto's Sensei.

"Hai, thank you."

Minato nodded and handed one to Kushina who just happened to show up.

"Thanks." Kushina pecked Minato on the cheek before both sat down, "So, what's got you all flustered Takashi?"

A simple question, but one which would spark a discussion that would last until Minato had to go back to his office; a total of three hours. In that time, Naruto's ability was discussed; theories on how it came to be, bijuu and higher being link included. Ancient history, more like stories, was also involved, and led to Takashi being able to access the Hokage Library where only the most sacred pieces of history were included. By the end of the discussion, all three were convinced that change was coming to the Elemental Nations, and it all revolved around this mysterious masked man and one Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

* * *

A year had gone by quickly, but it was a year filled with progress, and not just for Naruto, but for Konoha as well. Thanks to Jiraiya, who was now back home and helping Naruto with his training, had set up a main base for his spy network in Konoha. It was earlier in this year that Danzo brought up the idea of his Root being used in the spy network at one of the monthly meetings Minato had. Everyone, including Homura and Koharu, were nervous as they knew of Danzo's past and how crucial the spy network was for Konoha and their allies. After much talk, and reassurance from the War Hawk about his new emotion-filled troops, they agreed, but on the stipulation that one screw-up would spell the end of such a deal.

It was months later that Danzo's Root had found many spies in Konoha, all of which were sent to T & I where any and all information was extracted out. For Minato, the Sennin, and the elders, they couldn't be more relieved that everything was working out, but they wondered how long it would last. Of course, such captures led to some interesting treaties being formed.

Although they were enemies in the past, Kumo, after learning of their spies being captured, decided to cut their losses and made a treaty with Konoha. Iwa, however, didn't care about their spies being found and they even had the gall to promise untold devastation upon Konoha. Minato laughed at such a promise seeming that he devastated their shinobi in the Third Shinobi War. Suna, although they had a treaty with Konoha, quickly revoked it after they learned that they had Shukaku and wouldn't give it back. The only reason they didn't go to war was due to their extremely weakened state.

Needless to say, Konoha was strong once more, and such strength would only continue to grow as the new academy curriculum would now be applied to any and all entrants; new or old. Although Tsunade wanted the graduation age pushed to 15, Jiraiya made a compelling argument saying that the Elemental Nations was in a cold war where tensions were high to the point where one snap could force another Shinobi War. Nobody wanted that, especially with the Third Shinobi War still fresh in everyone's minds.

Although kids Naruto's age would be entering the academy, the age of six, Naruto would not be doing so due to his condition. Although Minato and Kushina hated to admit it, blind shinobi were indeed looked upon as weak, cannon fodder if you will, and many were tasked with suicide missions by their Sensei or overlooked entirely when it came to promotions. Naruto feared such a thing, but Minato told him as Hokage, he wouldn't allow such bias.

He even went so far as to demand Koharu and Homura to add a course in the academy, both shinobi and civilian, to deal with the problem. To further this, Minato created a law which made it illegal under hefty fine, imprisonment, and/or hard labor, to discriminate against the blind; be it in the labor force, or unemployed. Of course, the punishment would be decided largely upon the severity of the crime.

Such acts calmed Naruto's fears, and even made him work harder than ever to show everyone that being blind did not equal weakness, but the strength to overcome. And he was doing just that as in the year his ability to see by just tapping the ground grew at an astounding rate. Pictures of the world were now clear, though some haziness still existed. Even more so, this ability, coupled with his higher than normal senses, made Naruto acutely aware to any dangers around him. The process of dodging, and fighting, using almost all the senses at once was still disorienting to Naruto, but that was what Takashi had been focusing on for the past month now.

* * *

"Time to take a break my maelstrom, you've been walking up trees and jumping between them for a couple hours now." Takashi yelled into the forest as he watched Naruto jump towards him.

"Yah, a couple hours filled with me mending his almost broken bones." Tsunade huffed and she crossed her arms under her large bust, "Damn Uzumaki's must have high bone density or something."

Takashi let out a laugh as he remembered watching Naruto miss a branch on occasions, only to fall to the ground below resulting in him screaming in pain. Luckily for them, they were at a private training ground where Kushina couldn't pound them to dust for hurting her baby. Before Takashi could respond with something witty, Naruto jumped out of the forest and landed in front of them, obviously augmented with chakra; something which Naruto had unlocked only six months ago. But what happened when Naruto landed had put wide-eyed looks on Tsunade and Takashi's faces.

"What?" Naruto was confused on why he was getting such stares, but upon looking where they were pointing… "Heh, well whaddya know!"

The ground underneath Naruto, once hard and compact, had turned to sand.

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you enjoyed these chapters, and I hope this story will be one to kick my writer's block off the cliff. I got many stories to update, and Akuma no Senshi to finish, but the real world comes first. Being an adult sucks. So, for those reading this that are still in Middle or High School, enjoy that time whilst you can, as it will be gone before you know it.


	3. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

* * *

After much deliberation, I have decided to indefinitely halt any and all writing on this site even though it pains me to do such a thing. Many might be saddened by this, but worry not as I might return someday; hence why my stories ARE NOT going up for adoption. I will keep all my stories up for those that wish to use them for inspiration among other things. If you wish to use one of my ideas, please PM me before doing so. Once I've given permission, I simply ask that you give me credit for it. The real world is taking up all my time, and I hope to get a good paying job in my field by next year; a job where I might work 60 hours a week. Again, it pains me to do this but I've made my choice. For the many years I've been on this site, I cannot thank everyone enough for the support you've given. It started out as an experiment and, although not perfect, it has helped me become a better writer as a whole. Again, thank you all and I hope to be back at a later date.

Random


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